5 Ways Applying For A Job Is Hopelessly Stacked Against You

5 Criminals Are Forced to Stay Criminals (And Black People Are Assumed To Be Criminals)

A criminal record of any kind is right up there with "quit my last job by shitting on the boss's desk." But many employment applications ask about it right upfront, meaning your application might get thrown out before ever being seen by a human. It's pointless to lie about it, because once the background check comes in, your resume goes right in the garbage anyway. Of course, it is an individual employer's right to make that judgment call, but it's also one reason that prisons have revolving doors. Once you commit a crime, you're all but obligated to commit more, since it's so hard to make a living honestly. It's like eating potato chips, but against your will and even worse for your health.

One way governments have tried to end the cycle of criminality is by "banning the box." These laws prohibit employers from asking applicants whether they have a criminal record on their application -- the idea being that learning a name and face will soften employers' hearts. Obviously, it has not worked out that way. Without an easy way to figure who has a record, employers assume it's "all the black ones." One study found that after New Jersey and New York City passed laws "banning the box," the racial gap in callbacks for interviews went from 7 percent to 45 percent. In a country where white people now get excellent jobs doing what untold numbers of young black people have gone to prison for, we wish we were surprised.

4 Employers Trap You by Asking About Your Previous Salary

If you ask a recruiter, they'll tell you that you shouldn't ever provide a prospective employer with information about your previous salary. That's because if said previous salary was quite a bit lower than what they normally pay, employers know they can offer you less than they might otherwise. Unfortunately, many employers now ask about your previous or desired salary on applications, and hence won't even let you submit without shooting yourself in the foot. Asking for previous salaries hurts employees so much that some states, like Massachusetts, have made doing so illegal. They still haven't done anything about Mark Wahlberg and toll roads, but you know, baby steps.

If you get lowballed early in your career, you'll likely always be making less than you deserve. Since many raises are percentage-based, one substandard salary could mean you'll be forever stuck earning less than you should. This obviously hurts women and minorities most, as they are more likely to be paid less than they're worth to begin with. It doesn't even help to move to a different company, since they'll probably ask about your current salary. It's an infinite ripoff train, and you're the caboose.

3 If Your Boss Didn't Hire You, They Probably Hate You

The seemingly ideal interview situation is one conducted by the candidate's potential supervisor, as they'll know best what they need. But this can backfire, because said supervisor may not have final say over the decision. If they recommend against hiring you and you're hired anyway, you're in for a circle of Hell you didn't even know existed. Studies have shown that if an employee ends up working under a supervisor who rejected them, they are almost guaranteed to get a negative yearly review, not to mention a potentially hostile work environment and difficulty getting a good recommendation in the future.